


Bring the Tangerine

by finnemoreshusband



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-09
Updated: 2013-04-09
Packaged: 2017-12-08 00:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/754851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/finnemoreshusband/pseuds/finnemoreshusband
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur is having Martin over for dinner.  Martin shows up early to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bring the Tangerine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iyori](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iyori/gifts).



> Written as a prize for a giveaway on tumblr.
> 
> The prompt was "tangerines".
> 
> It's not even close to being good and I apologise for that.

Arthur stood in the kitchen, preheating the oven when the doorbell rang. He ran to answer it, smiling bright when he saw Martin.

“Hi,” he said, a little out of breath from the sudden dash.

“Hi,” Martin said back, also a bit breathless, though Arthur wasn't sure why.

“You're early.”

“I Know,” Martin admitted with a blush. “I just... My van job ended a bit early so I thought I could help you with dinner, if that's okay...”

Arthur nodded and gave him a small peck on the lips as Martin stepped inside. “That's a brilliant idea, Skip. Cooking is always more fun with you.”

Martin finally allowed himself to smile, having been too nervous before. He and Arthur had been dating for just a few weeks, and he was still afraid of scaring him off. “So,” he said once they got to the kitchen, “what are you making for us?”

“Duck a l'Orange.”

“Ooh, fancy.”

“Only the best for you.”

Martin looked at the ingredients and tools that sat upon the kitchen table. “What do we do first?”

“Well, I've already dried the duck, and coated it with the herbs. Now we have to cut the oranges and stuff them inside.”

Martin reached across the table and picked up one of the round fruits. “But these are tangerines, Arthur.”

“I know, that's all they had at the market. But, it's still orange, and it's a citrus. It should be mostly the same, right?”

“I guess we'll find out,” Martin said, not wanting to discourage him. Though they seemed mostly the same, oranges and tangerines had very different tastes, but it couldn't end up worse than some of Arthur's other substitutions. It might even end up better.

They each grabbed a tangerine and cut it into small wedges, then stuck as many of them as would fit inside the duck with some other ingredients. Martin watched Arthur prep the roasting pan with vegetables while he squeezed juice from the leftover tangerine wedges into a mug of chicken stock. The duck was put in the pan and shoved into the oven.

The next half hour was spent getting the sauce started. They mixed ingredients on the stove and Martin did his best to believe Arthur when he told him it was supposed to be bubbling and steaming like that.

Arthur pulled the duck out and poured the wine and tangerine juice into the bottom of the pan, then reduced the temperature of the oven.

When that was done, Martin asked, “how long until the next step?”

“An hour,” Arthur answered, “maybe more.”

Martin nodded and grabbed a tangerine, using his fingernails to start peeling it. He ate a small piece before Arthur said something.

“You'll spoil your appetite.”

“It's just a tangerine,” Martin reasoned. “And it'll be a while until we eat. Have to pass the time somehow. Unless you can think of a better way.” He sat the tangerine on the counter, giving Arthur a challenging gaze.

Arthur stepped toward him and caught his lips in a soft kiss, tasting the juices left over in his boyfriend's mouth.

Martin moaned, the heat of their kiss amplifying the taste and scent of the citrus. “An hour,” he said into the kiss. “Anything coming to mind?”

“We shouldn't leave the oven unattended...”

“Snoopadoop can watch the oven.” He was sure he'd already gotten his way, but he rocked his hips forward once, just in case.

“Upstairs?”

“Yes.” Martin jumped and wrapped his legs around Arthur's waist.

Arthur caught him, ready to carry him up to his room.

“Wait, wait,” Martin said before they made it out of the kitchen. “Bring the tangerine.”

\---

They used up the whole hour and then some, hurrying down to the kitchen to make sure the duck was alright.

Martin pulled it out of the oven while Arthur finished up the sauce. The duck survived, not burnt or dried out.

They set the table and dimmed the lights. Arthur lit a candle, sure to keep it far enough that he wouldn't knock it over this time.

The first bite was cautious, as they'd learned to be when eating home-cooked food. But it was delicious; sweeter and juicier than Martin had expected. And, he realised, he was extremely hungry.

“Was this your plan all along?” he asked. “Not just to make me dinner but to give me a proper appetite as well?”

Arthur giggled. “Funny it turned out that way, huh?”

“Well, feel free to implement that plan again in the future.”

“We could try something with pomegranates next time,” Arthur suggested. “Imagine the color of it on your skin.”

Martin blushed, remembering what they'd done to the poor, innocent tangerine. “I'll look at recipes.”


End file.
